TRP: Goro and Sam (Follow)
Day 357, Skyport. Goro had made the trip out to the city to catch up with Larkin, find out if she needed his help with anything, that kinda shit. And just so happened he was able to make himself useful: one of her baby birds had got fucked up real bad in a fight. Real bad. Fucking lucky Goro was around, or the kid probably wouldn't have lived at all. Goro used most of his magic fixing him up, and hung around for a couple hours after that to make sure he stayed stable. Now his work was done, but it was getting late. It'd be midnight or so by the time he got back to the castle, if he left now. He thought about going back to Larkin and asking to stay over, but... goddamn, he really wanted to go home. He stopped by the food carts lined up along the edge of a park and bought himself some dinner. Grilled chicken on a stick. He started walking through the park--cutting through it was a faster way to the road out of town than going around would be. There was some guy playing a harp on one of the benches. Goro always hated that shit--people playing music for money--'cause he was never good enough to do it, and they got more handouts than him. So he was already prepared to toss the guy a sour look as he walked by, but then he stopped dead in his tracks. This wasn't just any guy. What the fuck. Goro stopped a couple feet away and stared, gnawing on his chicken. IZZY After a little while, Sam looked up -- he'd had his eyes closed as he focused on his lyre, but wasn't making many tips regardless, the music pleasant enough but nothing special. He didn't seem to be paying much attention to that, anyway. He kept going and just watched Goro back, largely expressionless, looking more sleepy than tired, this time -- more how he'd looked settled against Aziz's side, if still less relaxed and comfortable. LINA Goro took a few more bites of chicken, watching Sam the whole time. "How's things?" he asked finally. IZZY "Who the fuck's asking?" Sam said, without missing a beat. LINA Goro snorted. He took another bite of chicken. "Hey, just outta curiosity, what do they call two people who share the same patron?" Another bite. "My fiance, he's got a husband. And his husband told me we were... y'know, I can't actually remember what the fuck he called it. There's a name." IZZY "No fucking idea." He kept playing. "My patron doesn't have any other warlocks." LINA "But supposing he did." IZZY "No fucking idea," he repeated. LINA "Hey, how do you know he doesn't got any other warlocks? Maybe he's fooling around behind your back, eh." IZZY "Nah." Sam rolled his shoulders, stretched his fingers, and got back to playing, a bit more poorly, now. "He's not." LINA "Hey, are the two of you, uh." Goro waggled his eyebrows and nodded a little. "You know?" IZZY "What?" LINA "You fuckin'?" IZZY He narrowed his eyes and scowled. "We're not even on the same fucking plane of existence." LINA "Oh. Can you not do it there, then? Like in the dream?" IZZY "Sounds like none of your fucking business." LINA "Yeesh, alright, my bad." Goro held his hands up defensively, then went back to gnawing on his chicken. "I'm just saying, dude was kinda fuckin' hot. Hey, is he watching us right now?" IZZY Sam kept on scowling for a second, then softened. "Mm. Yup." LINA "How do I make him stop?" IZZY He shrugged. "Tell him you're not interested. We'll find someone else." LINA "And... he'll stop watching me, then? All the time?" IZZY "He'll stop paying attention." He plucked out a few more notes, then let his fingers fall from the strings. "You can see everything around us, now, right?" He tilted his head from one side to the other, gesturing. "But you're only paying attention to me. Everything else is peripheral. He'll still see you, but you'll be peripheral." LINA "Not great, but I'll take it. God. I wonder how many other monstrous fucking things are seeing me peripherally all the time." Goro had finished the chicken, but he kept licking and nibbling at the stick. "Where do you live, anyway?" IZZY "Nowhere." LINA "Where do you sleep?" IZZY "Why the fuck would you need to know?" LINA "Well, strictly speaking, I don't. Just wondering." IZZY "And I would tell you ...?" He gestured vaguely with one hand, implying the why? LINA Goro cracked half a smile. "'Cause you're lonely." IZZY "And you're good company?" LINA "Some would say so. I'm a funny guy." IZZY "Who told you that?" He plucked out a little tune. "Your mama?" LINA The smile dropped away. Goro jerked his chin at him. "Who the fuck loved you so much they left you selling shit on street corners, huh?" IZZY He shrugged a shoulder. "Esme Obsidia." LINA "Pretty name. Dead, or ditched ya?" IZZY "Probably dead now," he said, idly. "Or not. Ba'alchem stopped watching her when she left me." LINA "Fuckin' what? Start that whole sentence over." Goro made a spinning motion with his finger. IZZY "Aziz," he clarified. "Ba'alchem." LINA Goro made a face. "Yeah. Sure. Hey, why the fuck's he wanna come to this plane, anyway?" IZZY "To be with me." He played a few pretty notes. LINA "Oh, right. Since you two can't fuck in the dream, or whatever." IZZY Sam scowled again. "Sure. That's why." LINA "How come you don't just..." Goro wagged his finger around more, gesturing vaguely. "Go to him?" IZZY "Oh, man. Yeah. How come I never thought of that before," Sam deadpanned. "I'll just do that. Without the artifact we need. You're right." LINA "No, with the fucking artifact, dumbass. I wanna know why your boy can't keep his ass where he is. That way you could still be together, right?" IZZY He shrugged. LINA Goro wondered if there was any significance to the fact that Sam called it an artifact, while Aziz had called it a relic. Not all the relics were artifacts. He studied Sam, using the chicken stick like a giant toothpick. Then he tossed it to the ground. "So, your mom left you, huh?" IZZY "Yep." LINA "Mine too." IZZY "It happens." He paused for a second. "Oh, I didn't mean anything by that mama thing. Just shit people say, y'know." LINA Goro waved it off. "Oh, yeah, whatever. I got a new mom now, anyway." Ah. Fuck. Why the fuck had he said that? Well, if fuckin' Ba'alchem had been watching him anyway, maybe he already knew. "How old were you? I was six." He was more confident about that number now, since he knew exactly how old he was thanks to Luka's letters. He'd been counting right all these years. IZZY "Don't remember." LINA "Too young?" Eh, Goro wished he could shut his mouth. Sam didn't seem too interested in talking to him. IZZY Another shrug, which turned in another roll of his shoulders, and he started putting away his lyre -- tightening the leather straps that looped around each arm of the instrument and swinging it gently onto his back, adjusting it. He scooped up the little pile of coins that'd been flipped at his feet. "It was ... thirty years ago. I would've been seven, eight, nine maybe." He stood and turned away. "Older than you then, huh." LINA "Yeah." Sam was acting like he was about to leave, but... well, he was still talking. "You know why she left?" That was a shitty question, and Goro knew it. But he really wanted to know. Like were all moms who left their kids on the street psychos, or what? IZZY Sam looked over his shoulder, squinting. "Couldn't feed both of us, so she picked herself." He looked at Goro for another moment before starting to head off. LINA "Yikes." Goro paused a second, then started to follow. Huh. If Sam didn't object to the following, that meant he might be leading Goro to wherever it was he slept. Goro wondered if he had something in mind. He'd been awfully cagey on the whole topic of fucking, though. "Mine was trying to toughen me up, or some shit." IZZY "Sounds like bullshit." Sam headed down a shaded alleyway. LINA "No, yeah, for sure it was. Lady's fucked in the head." A trait she'd obviously passed down, in one form or another, to her firstborn son. But at least he would never pull shit like that on his own kids. Goro's eyes roamed the alleyway, taking in details. He wondered if Sam might be leading him somewhere just to fucking shank him. Well, he could try. Goro hadn't been in a real knife fight in quite a while, but he was still confident about his chances. Plus, he had enough magic left to snuff out if he needed to. IZZY "Uh-huh," Sam said absently. He trailed to the end of the alley, and at the corner of the building, he kicked at a brick close to street level. It came loose, revealing a small alcove carved into the foundation of the building -- a sort that Goro would be familiar with. It was a tiny makeshift altar. Street kids would leave offerings to Mask in these little cubbies, often just shiny rocks or small bones or rose petals, but sometimes coppers, when they could. It was meant to grant luck. Other kids would usually steal those coppers, but it was all part of the cycle. It wasn't like Mask would begrudge them taking what they needed. Sam knelt and slipped the tips he'd gotten from playing into the cubby -- mostly silvers, a few coppers. He'd made a couple gold as well, but held onto those. Then he wedged the brick back in firmly and straightened to carry on walking. LINA Goro frowned down at the shrine for a moment before skittering after him. "You a Maskarran?" IZZY "Nope." LINA "Donating to charity, then, or what?" IZZY "Sure." He shrugged and ducked under the clothesline strung across the end of the alley. "Plenty of times that would've kept someone like me or you alive, right? What, am I gonna miss a handful of silvers?" LINA "Mm," Goro agreed, looking wistfully over his shoulder. "Hey, uh. Where we going?" IZZY "Don't know. Where are you going?" LINA "Just following you. You want me to leave?" IZZY Sam scoffed. "I'm walking the fuck away from you, aren't I?" LINA Goro slowed to a stop. "Oh." He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, yeah, I just..." Just nothing. He turned around slowly, kicking a couple pebbles on his way. IZZY Sam kept going for a couple more steps, then seemed to hesitate. He glanced over his shoulder and studied Goro for a moment. "Fuck me," he muttered. "I mean, what, like you haven't got somewhere better to be?" LINA "Um." Goro shrugged. "Not really. Was gonna head home, but it'll be the middle of the night once I get there." IZZY After giving him a flat look for another beat, Sam sighed and rolled his eyes, looking back straight. "Fine. It's not like I'm busy." LINA Goro stuck his hands in his pockets, like he was all cool and didn't give a shit, and ambled forward. IZZY Sam gave a quiet pff and went back to walking, slowly enough that Goro could keep pace without chasing him. He glanced up at the sky. A few stars were starting to peek out. LINA "So, uh. Again. Where're we going?" IZZY "A bar, I guess." LINA "Seriously, though, where do you sleep?" IZZY He sighed. "Who the fuck grows up on the streets and then goes around telling people where to find them when they're vulnerable? Honestly. The fuck." LINA "Hah. Yeah, no, I getcha for sure. But c'mon. Your boss watches me all the goddamn time, apparently. I don't got a chance of keeping it a secret where I sleep. You oughta meet me halfway, you know what I'm saying?" IZZY Sam snorted. "No." He seemed kind of amused by the idea, though. LINA "Pfff." Goro followed him quietly for a minute. "You know any good bars, or what?" IZZY He shrugged. "You?" LINA "Nothing's good in Skyport. Let's just drop in the first place we see." IZZY Another shrug. He glanced along the street and paused, spotting a place called The Feisty Filly. "That?" LINA "Yup. First place we've seen." IZZY "Sure." Sam led the way over to the building. The windows were curtained, but light was visible through them, and somewhat muted but normal bar sounds could be heard -- chatter, clinking mugs, quiet music. Sam pushed the door open, and stopped immediately, half in the doorway. "Uh," he said. "Uh, this isn't ... a bar." There was a bar, with a burly bartender, but beyond Sam, Goro could see plush couches and chairs, and scantily, prettily-dressed men and women sitting on the laps and close by the sides of assorted drunk patrons. LINA Goro craned his neck to see inside. "Oh." He snorted. "Yeah. This happened to me once, in Calimport. I got a real good massage out of it. Like, a neck massage, no joke." IZZY Sam narrowed his eyes, and cut them between Goro and the inside of the building a couple times. "Do you ...?" LINA "Do I what?" IZZY From inside, the bartender barked, "You're lettin' the air in!" and Sam stepped back abruptly and slammed the door. "We can find a real bar." LINA Goro pointed at the door. "They serve drinks in there. What, you afraid the temptation's gonna pull you away from your beloved up in the dream world? Pfff, is your faithfulness to him so weak..." IZZY Sam gave him a venomous look and turned away again. LINA "Oh. Oh. You just--oh. You ain't comfortable with all that shit. I get it. Hey, sorry." IZZY He kept walking, shifting to cross his arms loosely. LINA "Huh." Goro trailed after him, thinking. Recalculating. "Man, you weren't kidding. It really ain't about the fucking." IZZY "Yeah, no fucking shit," he grumbled. He glanced up at the darkening sky again. LINA Goro grinned. "Cuddles you real good, yeah? He's your Hansel." IZZY "What?" LINA Goro sighed, almost dreamily. "Y'know. The guy who changed everything." IZZY His voice softened a bit. "Yeah. I guess." LINA "Squeezes you real good. Makes you feel safe. Best night's sleep you ever had." IZZY Sam gave a little pff and grinned a bit. LINA "Yeah, mine's better." IZZY "Sure. Whatever." The grin faded away. "Not for long." LINA Goro blinked. "Fuckin' excuse me?" IZZY "We're not going to be fucking apart forever," he muttered. LINA "Oh." Alright, Voronin, put your hackles down. "Yeah. No, that's not what I meant. Didn't mean it like... like it's better 'cause I got mine in person." IZZY "Oh, then because mine's a demon, then, or some shit," he said flatly. LINA "Um." Goro kind of regretted saying anything. Maybe he was wrong. He'd be fucking infuriated if someone implied Hansel wasn't so good 'cause he was a half-orc or whatever, and maybe demons weren't so bad as their reputation made them out to be. There was tieflings, and shit, after all. "Uh. Is he evil?" IZZY Sam scoffed. "Is Mask?" LINA "Nah. But Mask ain't a demon." IZZY "How about Gruumsh?" LINA "Yes. Evil motherfucking son of a bitch. But still not a demon. What's your point?" IZZY "Shit, it's almost like there evil gods, and gods that aren't evil. If only that logic could be fucking extended to other extraplanar shit, huh." LINA "Look, I ain't a fucking dumbass, alright? I just never heard of a demon who wasn't evil. You could just answer the fucking question instead of turning it into a lesson." IZZY "You fucking go around asking people if they're evil?" Sam snapped. "No. He's not evil. Fuck you." LINA "I do. For example, are you evil?" IZZY "Fuck me," he said again, under his breath. "I'm about to be." LINA Goro snorted and cracked a smile. It faded quick. "Serious question, though. I mean, I ain't fucking around with you, alright? Serious fucking question. Once you get the relic thing, why don't you go to his plane? Why's he gotta come to ours?" IZZY "Mortals can't just go there. We can't just fucking hang out in the Divine Realm, either." LINA "How come he can come here, but it doesn't work the other way around?" IZZY Sam sighed and rubbed at his face, stopping on the side of the street to look at Goro properly. He was starting to look tired, again, ragged. "Is this going to factor into you helping me or not, or are you just fucking interrogating me for your own amusement?" LINA "It's gonna factor in," Goro said. After a moment, he added, "I'm worried." He looked away. IZZY Sam rubbed his eyes again, and was quiet for a moment, then let out a low sigh. He blinked a couple times and focused back on Goro. "He just wants to come here so we can be together," he said softly. "Demons can exist here. They've done it before. If a human tried to go there, we'd just --." He snapped his fingers, two small arcs of fire following the lines of his thumb and middle finger, then going out. "Burn. Demon plane. You know?" LINA Goro stared a moment longer at Sam's fingers, where the fire had been. "Ah." He looked at the ground. IZZY "Yeah." Sam shifted and crossed his arms. LINA Goro thought about asking if Sam thought Aziz really loved him, but it seemed unfair. Was a rude question if he thought yes, and a rude one if he thought no. Just wasn't any of Goro's goddamn business. And it didn't really make a difference. He thought about asking if Sam thought Aziz was really loyal to him--if he could be sure Aziz wouldn't turn against him once he'd got what he wanted. But he already knew what Sam would say: He won't. And really, it was probably fucking true. Whether or not Aziz loved Sam, there was no good reason for Aziz to ditch him so long as Sam stayed loyal. My knife, and shit. Weirdo. "I don't wanna take you away from your Hansel," Goro said finally. "'Cause I know what that would mean. But I'm worried. I'm worried he's gonna come here and cause a problem, and I'd be obligated, like anyone who cares about this shit sack of a world, to step in." IZZY "Well, if it's that much of a shit sack, maybe he'd make it better," Sam said bluntly. LINA "Yeah? Like how?" IZZY "It'd already be better if he was fucking here." It came out openly bitter. Sam turned to start walking again. LINA Aw. Jeez. Goro was getting that horrible fucking empathy thing again. He kept following. "Alright, alright. Can I tell you a little story? You live in Skyport, right? I mean, you're around here most of the time." IZZY "Not really." LINA "Ah. Well. You know the names Baron and Basha, at least? If not, I can fill you in. Ain't a long story." IZZY "Yeah. Of course." He just sounded flat, now, uninterested. LINA "Right, yeah, you grew up here, I guess. What about Morgan Wyn? That one's newer." IZZY "Yeah. Heard of her. Sanguine Guild. Fell apart." LINA "Mhm." Goro nodded, even though Sam wasn't looking. "When she first started making her dent in Skyport, I went to talk to her. I always like to know what the fuck's going on with whatever latest upstart got it into their heads to take over the world, right? Like to hear their side of the story. "Anyway, she made her pitch to me. I went back a few times. Got to know her." Got to know two fucking people, more like, but that was a digression. "And, I'll be fucking honest, I liked what she had to say. She was smart. She treated her people right. She knew exactly what all the problem spots were with Baron and Basha. Guess I don't need to tell you why a street kid trying to stay independent in Skyport hated those two's guts, yeah?" IZZY "Right." LINA "So yeah. Fuckin' dream come true, right there. Someone who wanted to get rid of the shitty old blood, and actually had the smarts and the resources to do it. But there was a problem." He paused, for dramatic effect. Not like Sam would appreciate it. IZZY Sam didn't respond. LINA "My best friend is Renar Basha's niece," Goro said. "And she is the most stubbornly loyal son of a bitch you ever met. Alright? So, what was I supposed to fucking do? Nothing. I couldn't do shit. I killed Morgan Wyn." In a manner of speaking, anyway. IZZY "Is there a point coming up, or what?" LINA "Yes sir, there sure fuckin' is. I put me and mine first, before the rest of the world. Didn't matter if I liked the look of what Morgan was offering. Didn't matter if she was gonna make Skyport a better place. Wasn't gonna work for my family, so it didn't work for me. And I'm gonna say the same thing to you, right now. Doesn't matter if Aziz--Ba'alchem, whatever the fuck--is gonna make the world a better place, if he's gonna hurt people I care about. That make sense to you?" IZZY Sam stopped and looked back at him. "All you had to fucking say was, Hey, no one's planning to hurt my family, right? And I could've said, Nope." LINA "Oh, so we both got that habit of taking longer than necessary to say what we're getting at. Good to know. Ain't that fucking simple, though." He grinned. "You wanna hear another story?" IZZY "I'm getting the impression I don't have a choice." LINA "I mean, you could always just kill me. Wouldn't do much talking then." IZZY "It's tempting," he deadpanned. LINA "Oh, don't I fucking know it." Goro scoffed and shook his head. "But nah, nah, you gotta hear this. You know I was a warlock once, for a little while?" IZZY "Yeah." LINA "Yeah, so." Goro's ring was invisible, but he lifted his hand up and made it visible for a moment to show Sam. Then he stuck his hand in his pocket. "My patron and I made a deal for this ring. I couldn't afford it, so we worked out an alternative. She wanted a minute of my life, to do whatever she wanted with me. And I said, aw, fuck no, loopholes ahoy, right? So I put all these conditions on it. And you bet your ass I included a clause about how she couldn't use me to hurt the people I loved. But guess what?" IZZY "It happened anyway." LINA "They always find a way, don't they?" Goro shook his head again. "So forgive me if I'm not soothed by this whole no one's planning to hurt your family thing. Plans mean fuck-all." IZZY Sam sighed again, closing his eyes for a moment. He spread his arms. "Look. What do you fucking want from me, Goro?" LINA "Gah. I don't know," Goro admitted. He kicked a rock in his path. "I just... just. Feel like we're not so different, y'know? But your fuckin' loverboy--sorry. Snuggle boy, he freaks me out." IZZY Sam gestured with both hands like it was obvious. "He's a demon." LINA "Yeah. And he wants to come to our world. Suspicious as fuck." IZZY "Is it?" LINA "Sure is, pal." IZZY "Is it fucking suspicious if you feel like moving to Gentleglen?" LINA "Hell yeah, that place sucks." IZZY "Yeah? What if your fucking Hansel lived there? And he can't move to Skyport, because his fucking soul would self-combust." LINA "You think that's really all he wants, huh?" IZZY "Yes." LINA Goro chewed the inside of his cheek. "I wanna talk to him again." IZZY "I'll let him know. Tonight?" LINA "Nah, not tonight. I won't be home in time. Hey." Goro frowned. "He can Dream at two people at once, yeah?" IZZY Sam squinted. "That's what happened last time. Yeah." LINA "How about three people?" IZZY "I don't see why not." He looked impatient, like he was expecting Goro to ask about four, and then five, and maybe six. LINA "I want someone there with me," Goro said. "I'm supposed to get a second opinion." IZZY "Yeah. Fine. Who?" LINA Goro thought for a while, still sucking on his cheek. Hansel would probably just glare and grumble the whole time. Larkin would come out swinging. Mishka--hell, Goro didn't know. Mishka was more impulsive than he was. He kept going over his options, then said, "Not telling. I gotta make sure she's okay with it first." IZZY He sighed, closing his eyes for a beat. "Yeah. Sure. Just ... let us know once you're there, I guess." LINA "Sure thing. Uh. How, though?" IZZY "With words. Language. Say her name. In the dream." LINA "Oh. Oh. Once I'm there. I getcha." Goro frowned. "Y'know, you're a real dickhead." IZZY "Mm. Yeah. You know that thing kids say?" he asked. "Takes one to know one?" LINA "No fucking doubt. But you keep talking to me like I'm a dumbass. I'm not a dumbass." IZZY "You keep asking dumb shit." LINA "It's not dumb shit just 'cause it's obvious to you." IZZY He scowled. "Look, you're the one showing up, interrogating me about where I sleep, talking about my partner being evil, telling long-winded fucking stories --." He broke off like he was going to say something else, but glanced off to one side for a beat, jaw tensing and then relaxing. "I'm fucking tired, all right?" LINA "I know," Goro said sharply. He jammed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. "I thought you seemed lonely, alright? Thought you might want someone to talk to. Someone who kinda got you." He kicked another rock and watched it skitter off into the shadows. Then he turned and started walking away. IZZY Sam scoffed. He made a sound like he might say something else, but didn't. END Category:Text Roleplay